Garment retaining means



P 1952 P. H. SIMONSEN 2,611,518

GARMENT RETAINING MEANS Filed May 11, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT RETAINING MEANS Peter H. Simonsen, Avon, N. J.

Application May 11, 1950, Serial No. 161,441 4 Claims. (01. 223-88) This invention relates to improvements in means for retaining and supporting garments in smoothly folded condition, especially when packe into luggage for transportation.

In suit-cases having a capacity for carrying one or more mens or womens suits, and in wardrobe trunks, provision is usually made for suspending the garments in a folded condition when packed. Devices as heretofore provided for such purpose, although intended to maintain the garments in smoothly folded condition free from wrinkles. have not successfully avoided all wrinkling, especially with respect to coat sleeves in the vicinity of the junctures thereof with the shoulders of the coat. When a coat is folded for packing in luggage, the sleeves are flattened and inwardly swung or inclined to lay over the front of the coat. When the sleeves are thus inswung and overlaid across the coat front, considerable undesirable puckering and wrinkling of the unsupported material of the sleeves occurs with respect to the sleeve portions which extend adjacently below the shoulder seams. Under these conditions, when the coat is packed and tightly compressed within the luggage interior, the aforesaid wrinkles become creased so as to remain in the coat after it is unpacked, to the detriment of the coats appearance when again worn.

Having the above in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel garment retaining device adapted to hold the garment smoothly folded when packed into luggage, said device having means cooperative with the sleeves of the garment which is operative to serve as a fold guide and support so that puckering and wrinkling of the sleeve material adjacent the shoulders of the packed garment is avoided; the device of the present invention being of the general type disclosed in my copending application for Letters Patent Ser. No. 141,629, filed February 1, 1950.

Other objects of the present invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following description of the invention.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face view of a garment retaining device of this invention in a form thereof adapted for use in suit-cases, this view showing operative application of the device to a coat, the

latter being delineated by broken lines; Fig. 2 is a top edge view of the garment retaining device shown in Fig. 1', Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longi tudinal sectional view, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1, but on somewhat enlarged scale; and Figs. 4

and 5 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 showing a sleeve guiding and supporting means as initially outswung for introduction into a sleeve interior, and Fig.5 showing said sleeve fold guiding and supporting means inswung to fold forming and supporting relation to the sleeve material.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary face view of a modified form of sleeve fold guiding and supporting means; and Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the same, taken on line l1 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a front face view of the garment retaining device according to the present invention, in a hanger form thereof suitable for use in wardrobe trunks, and showing its operativeapplication to a coat, the latter being delineated by broken lines.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 2. form of the garment sleeve fold guiding and supporting means is shown which is suitable for use with garments to be packed in a suitcase or like luggage piece as provided with a hanger bar ID or like means over which the folded garment is hung. This form of device comprises a longitudinally adjustable stretcher bar which is formed by a pair of substantially rigid, fiat bar members I! and [2 of suitable length, width and thickness, and which may be made of metal or any suitable material. The inner end portions of said bar members II and I2 lap one another, and one of said bar members, e. g. the bar member H, is provided adjacent its inner end with a stud l3 disposed to project outwardly through a longitudinal guide slot l4 with which the other bar member, e. g. the bar member [2, is provided. To the outer end of said stud I3 is fixed a keeper washer l5 which slidingly abuts the outer face of said bar member [2. By this arrangement the bar 'members can be readily moved longitudinally whereby to shorten or lengthen the stretcher bar formed thereby, and thus to accommodate the device to given sizes of garments. The bar members I l and 12 are provided with cooperative means for releasably interlocking the same together in selected. relatively adjusted positions. An illustrative form of means for this purpose, as shown, comprises a lock nosing 16 which projects rearwardly from the inner face of one bar member, e. g. the bar member I 2. This lock nosing I6 is engageable in a selected opening of a row of longitudinally spaced openings I1 with which the other bar member, e. g. the bar member II, is provided,

whereby to interlock the bar members together in longitudinally adjusted relation. The thus interengaged and adjusted bar members are rereleasably retained against displacement by a keeper sleeve [8 which is adapted to be slid over the lapped bar members so as to hold the same against separation.

Aiiixed to the outer end of each bar member I l and I2 is a sleeve fold guiding and supporting means. Each said sleeve fold guiding and supporting means comprises a carrier member 28 made of fiat spring metal, such e. g. as spring steel, the inner end portion of which is suitably affixed, as by Welding, brazing or by suitable mechanical fastening elements, to the outer end of a bar member of the stretcher bar whereby to extend outwardly from the latter in longitudinally aligned relation thereto. The outer free end portion of the carrier member 28 is doubled back therefrom by an elbow portion 21 to provide an obliquely inclined resiliently supported embracing arm 22 which normally lies in a somewhat offset plane parallel to the plane or the stretcher bar. Connected with said embracing arm 22 is a sleeve fold guiding and supporting member. One form of said sleeve fold guiding and supporting member, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 comprises a suitably shaped wire formation 23 which is suitably aiflxed to and so as to be unitary with the embracing arm and disposed substantially in the plane of said arm and thus spaced from stretcher bar Hi.2.

In the use of. the retaining device, the stretcher bar is first longitudinally adjusted to accommodate the device to the breadth of shoulder and spacing of the sleeves of the garment to which the device is to be applied. Having been thus adjusted to the garment, the stretcher bar is laid across the interior of the garment to extend between the sleeve arm holes at the junctures of the sleeves with the garment shoulder portions. The embracing arms 22 are now outwardly flexed to an out-swungopen position, and when so positioned are inserted through the arm holes of the garment to engage the fold guiding and supporting members 23 withinthe respective sleeve interiors so as to be disposed therein adjacent to the junctures of the sleeves with the garment shoulders (see Fig. 4) The sleeve material is now smoothly folded around the members 23, whereupon the flexed embracing arms 22 are released to resume inswung normal parallel relations to the stretcher bar, thus carrying the smoothly folded sleeve material into overlying relation to the front of the garment (see Fig. 5). The tensional pressure or the embracing arms 22 stresses the sleeve material in neatly and smoothly folded condition free from puckers and wrinkles and shields the embraced folds against creasing pressure. After the garment and retaining device are thus operatively assembled, the garment may be folded iengthwise upon itself and over the hanger bar i9 within the suit-case into which the garment is to be packed, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown another form of sleeve fold guiding and supporting member which comprises a molded or otherwise shaped body 24. This body 24 may. optionally be made of hard and rigid materiahsuch as hard plastic, metal, wood or the like, or of relatively soft and resilient material, suchas natural or synthetic rubber or the like. The, peripheral shape and surface contours of the body 24 may be varied so long as the shape selected provides suitable fold guiding margins and sleeve material sup- '4 port. The body 24 is affixed to the free end portion of the embracin arm 22. This may be done in any suitable manner, preferably, however, the body 24 is provided with a receiving cavity 25 into which the end portion of the embracing arm 22 is inserted, the body 24 being thereupon secured against separation from said embracing arm 22 by a fastening rivet 25 or the like which is engaged therethrough. It is sometimes desirable that some lateral play be permitted the body 24 relative to the embracing arm 22, so that more precise positioning of the body in fold guiding and supporting relation to the sleeve material may be attained. To this end, a single fastening rivet 26 or the like is employed, and the cavity 25 is provided with divergent side walls (see Fig. 6), whereby limited lateral adjustment of the body 2d about the rivet 26 as a center is possible. It will be obvious that the modified form of sleeve fold guiding and supporting member comprisin the body 2 3 may be substituted for the wire formation 23 in the above described stretcher bar form of the garment retaining device.

Referring to Fig. 8, the garment retaining device according to this invention is shown as of a coathanger type suitable for use in wardrobe trunks, closets and the like. In this form the evice comprises a hanger frame 38} which is provided with a suspension means, such e. g. as a book 3 l. The hanger frame includes side members 3'2 and extending therebetween is a horizontal transverse rod 33 over which folded trousers may be hung if desired. Dependent from the mid-portion of the rod 33 is a loop forma tion 34. Secured to the loop formation 34 are the inner ends 35 of oppositely extending fixed bar members 5%, the outer ends 37 of which are secured to and supported by the side members 32 of the hanger frame. Said bar members 36 are disposed to incline downwardly and outward- 1y from their inner ends to their outer ends. Superposed on each bar member 36, in slidable longitudinally adjustable relation thereto, is a movable bar member 38. Each pair of bar members 3633 are provided with cooperative stud and guide slot means and releasable interlocking means which correspond to like features of the hereinabove first described stretcher bar type of garment retaining device, the same being therefore identified by corresponding reference characters. Aifixed to the outer end of each movable bar member 38 is a sleeve fold guidin and sup porting means of the kind also hereinbefore described, and which, therefore, comprises a spring steel carrier member '29, the outer free end portion of which is doubled back therefrom by an elbow portion 2! to provide an obliquely inclined resiliently supported embracing arm 22. To the end of the embracing arm 22 is connected the sleeve fold guiding and supporting member, illustratively shown as comprising the body 26, although it may, as will be obvious, comprise the wire formation type 23 if desired.

In the use of the coat-hanger type of the garment retaining device, a coat is draped over the hanger frame 30, so that the latter supports the shoulders of the garment in the usual manner. After the coat is thus disposed, the embracing arms 22 are outwardly flexed to an out-swung open position, and when so positioned are inserted through the arm holes of the garment to engage the fold guiding and supporting members 24 within the respective 'sleeveinteriors, whereupon the s eeve material is smoothly folded around the members 24 and then the flexed embracing arms 22 are released to resume in-swung normal positions, so that tensional pressure of the embracing arms will retain the sleeve material in neatly and smoothly folded condition free from puckers and wrinkles, especially where the sleeves are joined to the shoulders of the garment. When the garment is thus mounted on the hanger frame 30, the latter may be suspended within a wardrobe trunk for packing the garment therein.

As above mentioned, the pairs of bar members 36-38 are inclined downwardly and outwardly from their inner ends thus ascending toward said inner ends. The purpose of this arrangement is to permit adjustment of the relative spacing of the sleeve fold guidin and supporting members, whereby to accommodate the same to different sizes of garments. In coats of small size, the shoulder breadth is narrower and the skirt length proportionately shorter than in coats of larger sizes. Consequently, for smaller sizes of coats the sleeve fold guiding and supporting members are moved inwardly by shortening the bar member sets, and due to the upward inclination of the latter, said members are likewise moved upward relative to the hanger frame 30, thus not only accommodating the members to the narrower spaced relation of the coat sleeves, but also to the proportionately shorter skirt length of the coat.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A garment retaining means comprising a body adapted for insertion within a garment between its sleeve arm holes, resilient carrier members extending from said body at opposite ends thereof, outer end portions of the carrier members being doubled back therefrom to form resiliently flexible elbow portions terminating in flexible embracing arms normally disposed in ofiset plane substantially parallel to the plane of said body' and sufficiently spaced therefrom to accommodate and shield infolded sleeve portions therebetween, and sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices carried by said embracing arms and disposed substantially in the plane thereof.

2. A garment retaining means comprising a longitudinally adjustable body adapted for inserfolded sleeve portions therebetween, and sleeve fold guidin and supporting devices carried by said embracing arms and disposed substantially in the plane thereof.

3. In a garment retaining means longitudinally lapped and relatively longitudinally movable bar members adapted to be directed toward a sleeve arm hole of a garment in which the retaining means is arranged, releasable means for interlocking said bar members in adjusted relation, a resilient carrier member extending from a bar member end which is directed toward said sleeve arm hole, the outer end portion of the carrier member bein doubled back therefrom to form a resiliently flexible elbow portion terminating in a laterally inclined flexible embracing arm normally disposed in offset plane substantially parallel to the plane of the bar members and sufficiently spaced therefrom to accommodate and shield infolded sleeve portions therebetween, and a sleeve fold guiding and supporting device carried by said embracing arm and disposed substantially in the plane thereof.

4. A garment retaining means comprising a hanger frame from which a garment can be suspended, pairs of lapped and relatively longitudinally movable bar members respectively extending from a mid-portion of the hanger frame in downwardly and outwardly inclined disposition respectively to opposite ends of the latter, each pair of bar members having releasable means to interlock the same in adjusted relation, and sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices respectively extending from the outer bar member of respective pairs thereof, and resilient means for supporting said devices whereby to be capable of outswung disposition angular to the plane of the hanger frame for respective insertion into the upper interiors of the respective sleeves of a garment suspended on the hanger frame and thereafter being adapted to be in-swung parallel to and spaced from the plane of the hanger frame, thereby to form and support folds of the sleeve material thereabout and to shield said folds against creasing compression.

PETER I-I. SIMON SEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,050,537 Mills Aug. 11, 1936 2,500,817 Glassmeyer Mar. 14, 1950 

